It's because of you ... thank you!

December 21, 2021

Friends,

It’s been a challenging year as we continue to be affected by the global pandemic, racial and social injustice, gender inequality, and political upheaval. However, it’s also been a successful year as we’ve attempted to address and support these and other issues by developing creative solutions to ensure our work continued to make an impact throughout the year. 

We did this by:
​

• Giving Grants - we gave $110,000+ to support women, girls and their families to our nonprofit partners, including our new social justice grant partnership with The 3rd and The Highland Project. And, we gave $60,000 to encourage social innovation through the Changemaker Challenge in partnership with the Community Foundation of Howard County, Horizon Foundation and United Way of Central Maryland.
• Engaging Members - we engaged and increased our membership, raised $152,000+ from 368 members, held twelve virtual events, invited giving through 8 Emergency Response Network requests, and developed and reinforced our membership structure, with an enhanced menu of giving and engagement options moving into 2022.
• Strengthening the Circle - we invested in and focused on our core strength by growing our professional staff, developing our volunteer leadership, and advancing and enhancing our diversity, equity and inclusion framework throughout all of our work. And, we amplified and elevated our voice through increased marketing and communications efforts.

You can read more about our 2021 efforts here

Our work in 2021 has assured us that partnership and generosity is alive and well in Howard County and that philanthropic investment in our community is more important than ever. As we get ready to mark our 20th year of impact in 2022, we are proud to reach these milestones:

• Over 1,600 individual donors who have given to the WGC the last 20 years that has allowed us to collectively give ...
• Over $1,000,000 in total to programs that benefit women and girls in Howard County ...
• Through 250 grants to our nonprofit partners, and ...
• Who have helped us build a $1,300,000+ endowment to ensure there will be funds for women and girls in Howard County in perpetuity

​This has all happened because of you!

Please consider a year-end gift to the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County so that we can continue to give more grants, engage more members, and strengthen the circle for the future, especially as we enter our 20th year of impact in 2022.

One option for an end-of-year gift is to sponsor our upcoming WGC 20th Anniversary Year in 2022 which supports our two signature celebratory events: WGC's March 8, 2022 Virtual Annual Celebration and our Summer 2022 Pink Party in the Park, where we will celebrate and highlight 20 years of impact. And, a sponsorship of $500 and above includes support of our upcoming 2022 State of Women and Girls in Howard County Report, which will be listed on the report website. Find sponsorship information here, starting at $200 - thank you to our 22 sponsors to date!

Thank you for supporting women, girls, and families in Howard County. We are making a greater difference together than we might otherwise make alone. 

It's because of you ... thank you!

Wishing you the very best this holiday season.

Sincerely,

Barb Van Winkle, WGC Chair
Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, WGC Executive Director
www.womensgivingcircle.org

2021/2022 WGC Advisory Board: Kim Agnor, Dee Athey, Laura Bacon, Jennifer Bodensiek, Melissa Curtin, Alison Canning, Maxine Clark, Jillianne Crescenzi, Candace Dodson-Reed, Lee Draminski, Alice Giles, Kashonna Holland, Mireille Grangenois, Jade McDuffie McClary, Christine Meket, Hina Naseem, April Pardoe, Barbara Peart, Lynne Schaefer, Judy Smith, Nette’ Stokes, Mary Thompson, Beverly White-Seals